I thought it might be useful to create a resource page to share the products and services I use for this blog. I’ll try and keep this page updated as I find other valuable resources to use.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are helpful and are companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything listed below. I’ll do my best to follow up with you and answer your question.
Unixy was my hosting provider for several years. The reason why I’m not with them today is I am not running as many websites anymore so I don’t have the extreme hardware needs. However if you have needs for a VPS or Dedicated Server I have not found many better. I went with their Quattro dedicated server option. They have many options to choose from VPS, dedicated server, to advanced hosting with clustering. They have a unique caching and web accelerator system that’s worth looking into. They have top notch support and helped my through my host migration with ease.
I’m with WP Engine now and I LOVE THEM! I moved to WP Engine because I am operating WordPress sites and they are the best at it. From security, to speed, and service they have it down. They will help you move your existing site or get a new one up and running. I don’t have to mess with caching plug-ins or CDN’s because they have that all handled! They also provide a daily backup of your site and you can easily restore if needed. Check out the video below.
WordPress, I cannot imagine a better solution for a web page. Sure it’s free and that’s great. But it is the best in my opinion for a blog site. But what makes it so powerful is the number of plug-ins and themes available so you can truly customize it to meet your needs. You can create whatever you desire and with all the people using it and developing sites with it you can surely find what you need.
If you decide not to use WP-Engine who provides daily backup I guarantee you will want a backup plan. If you’re running WordPress there is no better backup than the BackupBuddy Plug-in. It has saved me on numerous occasions. I’ve made changes to websites and made them inoperable and I could restore my site in less than a couple minutes. It’s so simple. My husband is a web developer and he uses is it for moving development sites to live sites and saved him tons of time.
I use the Pinterest Pin It Button Pro button on my blog posts and I love Pinterest. It generates a lot of traffic to my blog and it’s really fun to look at all the pictures. This plug-in has a ton of features but the main one is the ability to allow visitors to pin the blog post pictures very easily.
I use the CommentLuv Premium Plug-in on my blog posts. It’s like having 10 plug-ins in one because it does so many great things. The main feature is to help your posts go viral, get more traffic and reward your readers and unlock advanced back link features on every CommentLuv blog. CommentLuv bundles some of the best features all together in one single plugin. You can reduce spam comments, increase your Twitter followers, allow keywords in the comment name field, and engage users via email with a direct reply – all while you’re increasing traffic and building community!There’s no denying that CommentLuv works. You’ll find it easy to interact with your audience and increase traffic back to your blog. But the greatest feature is having the ability to build a community, quicker, by rewarding users for their loyal participation!
White Bean Shiitake Bisque
Sweet Red Juice
Orecchiette with Roasted Tomato Garlic Pesto
Barley Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Tomato Herb Pesto
Quinoa Chickpea Bowl with Citrus Sauce
Roasted Vegetable Lentil Basmati Bowl
Fruity Kale Salad